


Smile For Me

by sunshinekittyy



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Crushes, F/F, Fluff, Pining, Romance, Unrealized Crushes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 00:37:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18354995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinekittyy/pseuds/sunshinekittyy
Summary: Andi’s been in a slump for days after Costume Day, and all she wants is a break from her own life and emotions. However, she sees herself finding comfort in Amber, who is determined to lift her spirits, no matter what.





	Smile For Me

**Author's Note:**

> For those who want a small break from all the angst lately, especially Tyrus, here’s a cute and fluffy Ambi one-shot!

Andi had gone through tough times before. Her life had always been like a rollercoaster of emotions, with its ups and its downs, like most lives really, but recently, it had just been overwhelming. Firstly, there was the news of her parents not getting married, which was, to her, one of the worst things that could happen. To others, it might seem childish, but to her, it was as if her world had just collapsed. The thing she had been looking forward to for months, her wildest dream, all down the drain. All the plans, the excitements, the fights, the energy they out into everything, it didn’t matter anymore because it had all been for nothing. She was so shocked, she had been in denial for days. Eventually, she had to face the harsh truth: it just wasn’t happening. Just thinking about that was enough to bring her mood down to the dumps. Her parents felt bad and did everything they could to make her feel better, but nothing worked. She had tried to brush it off, but the more time passed, the harder it got. She became more irritable, and probably meaner than she intended to be. On top of that, she had to deal with her friends’ problems as well. There was Jonah’s relationship with Amber, to which Andi didn’t understand the struggle, considering they already dated, but that she didn’t question, and then there was Cyrus, who had been isolating himself ever since Costume Day and the fiasco with TJ, and who Andi had tried to help and comfort as much as she could. She usually liked helping her friends, but recently it had been so hard to give them the support they needed because she felt depressed herself. All she wanted was a break, a break from her emotions, a break from her problems, a break from everything. The only place that gave her comfort, apart from Andi Shack, where she had spent most of her days, was The Spoon. She didn’t care if she went alone, she just needed baby taters and a milkshake. She could ask a friend to go with her, but she honestly just wanted some time alone; she needed to breathe. Andi sat at her favourite seat near the window, by herself, and no matter how good the baby taters were, she had trouble swallowing them. She played with one of them, rolling it around the bottom of the basket, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat it. Her milkshake sat on the table, almost full. She looked out at the window, sighing deeply as she watched the pedestrians walk by.

“Andi?” She suddenly heard her name and she abruptly lifted her head. She immediately recognized who it was, she’d recognize her voice anywhere. She turned her head, only to see Amber.

“Oh... hey Amber” she had almost completely forgotten that Amber worked here, and that she would definitely notice her sitting alone. After all, there weren’t that many people at that time of day, so she was probably noticeable, even from the corner she was sitting in. Amber looked at her with her head tilted a little to the side, holding her notebook close to her chest.

“Why are you sitting alone?” Andi dreaded that question, yet she expected it. She knew that she always sat with her friends whenever she went to The Spoon, and that anyone who saw her come here would ask her about it. She just gazed down at the basket, letting go of the baby tater.

“I don’t know, I just... needed some time alone, I guess. Thought my favourite meal would lighten up my spirits” she didn’t really feel like going in detail about how she felt right now. She thought about just lying and say that she was fine, but she knew that Amber wouldn’t believe her. She just shrugged, sighing. Amber just frowned.

“And... is it working?”

“Not really”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Amber inquired softly, a look of concern in her eyes. Andi simply shook her head. She almost wanted to tell her everything, to finally get all that pain out of her chest, but she felt like the words were blocked in her throat. She feared that she would burst out in tears if she did.

“There... isn’t much to talk about” that was a lie, and she knew it all too well. However, she didn’t feel like thinking about it right now. “I just have... stuff going on” there was a silence after that, and Amber just sat on the bench facing Andi, looking in her direction. She pursed her lips in thought.

“Are you... free right now?” The question took Andi by surprise. She looked up to meet Amber’s gaze and she remained silent for a few seconds.

“Yeah, I guess... I mean, I have nothing planned, if that’s what you’re asking” Amber nodded at that, a small smile on her face as she stood up from her seat.

“Great! You’re coming with me, then, we’re going out” she announced with a smile, and Andi was quick to shake her head. She certainly didn’t feel in the mood to bother Amber with her problems. 

“Oh, no, that’s okay, you have to work anyways, I’ll be fine” she tried to brush her off, but Amber wasn’t going to let this go, she soon realized.

“My job isn’t my priority right now. Helping you is, Andi” hearing her say that was enough to make Andi’s heart flutter. Amber gave her a look with such concern and softness that she couldn’t resist and finally just sighed.

“Okay... thanks” she simply replied, giving Amber a small smile. The other girl grinned and immediately turned her heels to walk off, probably to go put her stuff away. Andi just sat there, swinging her legs under the table as she waited. She took the baby tater that she was playing with earlier, and shoved it in her mouth. Somehow, no matter how good it usually was, it tasted almost stale. It seemed like the taste depended on her own mood. She thought back at what Amber told her earlier. ‘Helping you is my priority’ such simple words, and yet they were enough to bring a smile on her face. Lately, she’s been feeling so left out of her own life, practically useless and invisible, so knowing that Amber saw her as her priority warmed her heart. She glanced around the room and she suddenly spotted Amber, who had changed her outfit, and who was walking in her direction. She had traded her work clothes for a rainbow patterned shirt and some jeans. Amber stopped in her tracks to talk to one of her coworkers, and Andi couldn’t stop but stare. She had always thought that Amber looked attractive, but at that moment, it seemed to hit her just how pretty she was. She liked the way her hair framed her face, or the colour of her eyes or her smile, with her teeth that almost seemed as perfect as the people in those toothpaste commercials. It was as if she could just notice every little thing about her, and that all those small details were just perfect. Amber suddenly glanced in her direction and waved at her with a smile. Andi, embarrassed, looked away, trying to ignore the warm feeling that was starting to grow in her stomach. She simply fiddled with her fingers awkwardly. Finally, Amber came back to her.

“Okay, I’m ready now, we can finally go!” Andi glanced up at Amber again, only to see her smile widely at her, which sent her mind spiralling. She didn’t know how anyone could be so excited to hang out with her. She rose from her seat and followed her as they walked out of The Spoon. They walked side by side, their hands brushing against each other as they did, which made Andi feel in a way she couldn’t explain or understand the reason. She kept her gaze down, kicking a few rocks in the way.

“So... where exactly are we going?” Amber simply chuckled as she skipped over a crack in the sidewalk.

“You’ll see” was all she said. Andi kind of didn’t like that answer, because she didn’t feel in the mood for surprises right now. The last surprise she got was Jonah bailing on her costume and her parents telling her they weren’t getting married, so it just stressed her out more than excite her. She didn’t say anything though, she just continued to follow Amber until they arrived in a neighbourhood with small houses. Andi looked around her surroundings, a bit confused, but asking no questions. After a while, Amber turned right, engaging in a small greyish white house’s parking.

“Is this your house?” Andi questioned, as she stopped in her track to observe the house. Amber stood next to the front door, nodding.

“Yes. This is my home sweet home” it wasn’t big, Andi noticed, but it did look nice. The roof was black, and the lawn was filled with many colourful flowers. She couldn’t help but smile a bit.

“I like it. It looks cozy” she added as she stepped forward in front of the entrance. Amber used her keys to open the door, chuckling a bit.

“It is.” She walked inside, Andi on her heels. The inside of the house was almost impressive, from Andi’s perspective. Everything seemed neat and tidy, there were more flowers sprawled around the house, and many family pictures were hung on the walls. She glanced around, admiring the interior.

“How do you guys keep everything so clean?” She couldn’t help but ask out loud. Amber simply laughed at that, as she took off her shoes to trade them with her slippers.

“Oh, that’s just the entrance. You should see the other rooms in the house.” She exclaimed, making Andi smile a bit as took off her shoes as well.

“Are you sure it’s okay if I’m here? I mean, I wouldn’t want to bother your parents” she asked nervously, looking around as if she expected someone to come out from another room. She didn’t really feel like being told off by adults right now. Amber gave her a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry. My parents are out, and my brother probably locked himself in his room again, so we won’t be bothering anyone”

“Wait...” Andi paused at that, her eyes suddenly widening. “You have a brother? Since when?!” She glanced over at Amber with a confused look. The other girl didn’t answer for a few seconds, before chucking a bit.

“Oh... oh, yeah, I do. I thought you knew. We didn’t try to hide it, but we also didn’t go around telling everyone either” she simply shrugged. ”We probably won’t see him today, though. As long as we don’t go bother him in his room, we’ll be fine. Now, follow me, we’ll go up to my room” she took Andi’s hand and she dragged her with her. Andi didn’t protest, she actually appreciated the contact. Amber’s hand were soft against hers, and she’d be lying if she said that she couldn’t feel her heartbeat quickening. She didn’t know why she was feeling this way, but it did feel nice. As she passed by, she observed the family picture that decorated the walls. One picture, however, caught her attention and she stopped abruptly. A familiar face, that wasn’t Amber’s, was staring at her right in the face.

“Hold on, your brother is TJ? As in TJ Kippen? As in captain of the basketball team TJ?” She had to analyze the picture several times to make sure she wasn’t mistaken. She didn’t even think Amber and TJ even knew each other, much less be related. As she looked at the photo more, she realized how alike they looked, and she almost felt stupid for not realizing it earlier.

“Yeah, TJ’s my little brother. Only a year younger than me” Amber chuckled as she stood next to Andi to look at the picture. She never let go of her hand.

“I never noticed before, but you guys look alike” she commented, turning to her.Amber Kippen, her mind echoed. At least now she knew what her last name was. Amber started laughing, and Andi swore she could feel her stomach twisting.

“We get that a lot.” She smiled. “We also have similar personalities, according to a lot of people” she met Andi’s gaze for a few seconds, before looking away and continuing. “Well, now that you... know who my brother is, you probably know why he locked himself in his room” Andi nodded at that. She knew all too well about what happened on Costume Day. She barely even noticed how nervous Amber suddenly seemed.

“Yeah, I do. Cyrus has been doing the same thing on his side” she admitted with a sigh. It’s been days, and the poor boy still refused to come out of his room, except to go to school, maybe. Everything’s just been so awkward in the past few days, and Andi didn’t know how long she’d be able to handle that.

“I’ve been trying to convince TJ to finally go talk to him but... I don’t know, he’s been so emotionally unstable lately, it’s hard. One day, he’s crying his eyes out, the next he’s practically breaking everything, and another, he stays in bed all day.” She shrugged. “I want to help him but there’s so much I can do” she sighed. Andi gave her a soft smile.

“Hey, you’re doing what you can. I’m sure you’re doing a great job” and she meant it when she told her that. Amber looked up at her and a small smile appeared on her face.

“Thanks... that means a lot” none of them said anything for a few seconds, practically staring, until Amber broke that silence when she cleared her throat awkwardly.

“Anyways, follow me!” When they arrived to the superior level, Andi was quick to spot Amber’s room; the door was decorated with small stickers of flowers and rainbows. On the opposite side stood another door, that she immediately assumed was TJ’s room, from the basketball stickers.

“Aw, you guys have stickers on your doors, that’s cute!”

“Yeah, we put them there when we were younger, because we couldn’t tell the rooms apart, and we just... never took them out” Amber seemed to smile at the memory, and she dragged Andi to her room. Everything inside practically screamed Amber; from the pink aesthetic, to the many pictures stuck on the wall, to the flower decorations that were literally everywhere. Really, it was obvious that it was her room. Andi smiled a bit.

“I like your room” she complimented, which seemed to make Amber happy.

“Aw, thank you! I try” she giggled a bit as she finally let go of Andi’s hand to walk on the other side of the room. Andi tried to ignore the sudden feeling of disappointment she felt inside, and instead directed her attention on a nearby teddy bear that sat on a drawer.

“... Now that we’re in your room, are you going to tell me what we’re doing?” Andi finally asked as she fiddled with one of the teddy bear’s ears. She glanced up as Amber, who was walking around her room placing objects, as if she was clearing out space.

“Yeah, come here” she said, as she finished clearing out. Andi walked over to her and Amber showed her the empty wall in front of them. That’s when Andi realized that the space in front of the wall had been cleared. “Just so you know,there’s usually a lot of things around this wall. I cleared it all out, though, because I want to paint on it” a smile grew on her face, and she turned to Andi. “Actually, my parents gave me permission to do it, since I’ve begged them since... forever” she chuckled. “I’ve been wanting to draw a design on this wall... and I’ve chosen rainbows. Now, I know you might think this is... childish, but I like them because they’re colourful. Like... to me, they represent joy. I don’t know, it’s probably dumb”

“I don’t think it’s dumb.” Andi assured, smiling at her. “It’s actually pretty cool, if you ask me.” Amber glanced over at her, seeming surprised.

“Oh... uh- thanks.” She blushed ever so slightly, playing with a strain of her hair nervously.

“Wait, so did you, like, wait for me to do it with you?”

“Well...” Amber paused. “Not exactly. I didn’t have someone to do it with, at first. I asked TJ, and he said yes, because he’s my brother and all, but after the Costume Day fiasco... I’ve been almost scared to ask him again. But now I have you” she manages a shy smile, and Andi swore her heart leaped out of her chest when she heard her say that. “You’re an artist, plus, I know that art will probably make you feel better so I... took the opportunity” Andi couldn’t help but smile at that. Amber was right, art did make her feel better. Plus, if she got to do it with her, it made it even better.

“That sounds amazing, honestly. I’d love to help you” her voice was soft. Amber lightened up at that and her smile widened. Andi honestly thought that her smile could brightened up an entire room.

“I’m happy to hear you say that!” She was almost jumping on the spot, and she immediately ran to the other side of the room. She threw a shirt at Andi. “Here, wear this! Wouldn’t want to ruin that pretty vest of yours” Andi couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at that and she put the shirt on. It was a pink long-sleeved shirt, that seemed to have already been used for that purpose, as it was splattered with paint stains. Still, she liked it, and somehow, having it on made her feel almost safe. It had a discreet smell, that honestly reminded her of Amber, and she could feel her heart going crazy in her chest. She glanced up at the other girl, who was going through the stuff pulled up in her closet, taking out a few buckets of paint. She rounded them up all in front of the wall, and when she met Andi’s gaze, she had that sparkle in her eyes. Andi felt like she could melt on the spot.

“After you” Amber exclaimed as she handed her a paintbrush. Andi was so distracted by her smile that when she tried to grab the brush, she completely missed Amber’s hand. She laughed nervously as she took it, her hand brushing Amber’s softly as she did. Her heart probably skipped a few beats at that moment. She didn’t want to show her awkwardness, though, so she smiled as she put a bit of red paint on her brush. She stood close to the wall, ready to paint, and she glanced over at Amber one last time. She looked like she was beaming, and it honestly made Andi smile. She laughed when Amber was practically clapping her hands together as she put the first splotch of paint on the wall. She soon joined her, and they started meticulously filling the plain white wall with colours. During the entire process, Amber did all sorts of shenanigans in order to make Andi laugh, which succeeded, because their giggles echoed across the room. Amber would honestly do anything to hear her laugh like that. Andi had the cutest and most beautiful giggle, and her stomach twisted each time she heard it. Finally, when they were done, they stepped back to admire their work. Andi glanced at Amber, who had a proud smile on her face. Their gaze met and Andi almost dropped her brush.

“We make a pretty good team, don’t we?” Amber commented, a smile on her face. Andi couldn’t help but stare for a few seconds. The colour of her eyes were practically hypnotizing her, and she swore, she could get lost in them. However, when she noticed she was staring, she felt her face turn hot, and she swallowed hard.

“Y-yeah... yeah, we do” she gave her a shy smile, feeling her heart flutter in her chest. Amber put her brush in one of the buckets and went to sit on the bed, gesturing towards the seat next to her to invite Andi to sit. After putting her own brush down, she sat down next to Amber.

“So... do you feel better now?” Amber asked her sweetly, turning to her. Andi looked at her. In reality, she had almost forgotten that she was upset, and the reason why she was. It’s like whenever she hung out with Amber, all her worries vanished. It’s like whenever she looked at her, and saw her smile, nothing else mattered expect her. She smiled.

“I do, actually. Thank you” the silence suddenly filled the room as the two girls simply stared at each other. Andi could feel a fuzzy feeling grow inside her stomach, how it was spreading to every part of her body. Her cheeks were probably red as well, but she couldn’t bother to be concerned about that, she was too distracted. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she suddenly heard Amber giggle, and she suddenly became worried. Was she laughing because she was staring? She prayed that she wasn’t.

“What?”

“You have something on your cheek” Amber pointed out, still laughing. Andi would have a better reaction to that if her heart wasn’t going crazy over her laugh. God, she didn’t know what was happening to her right now, but it was sure distracting as heck. She started trying to wipe her cheek with her sleeve, in vain, which only made Amber’s giggle louder.

“No, stop, you’re doing it all wrong!” She exclaimed, clearly amused. “Wait, here, let me help you” and before Andi had time to say anything, Amber’s hand was on her face. At that moment, she felt like a swarm of butterflies were just going crazy in her stomach. She expected Amber to take her hand away immediately, but she instead let it linger on her cheek a little longer. She felt like the rest of the world had just disappeared, and the moment almost felt magical to Andi. She swore, for a split second, that she felt the urge to just inch closer and kiss her. The second that thought crossed her mind, though, she was quick to shake it off. She shouldn’t be thinking about that, heck, she didn’t know why she thought about that! Kiss Amber, of all people. She already had a boyfriend, plus, there was no way she’d like her. And she didn’t care, because she didn’t like her either- at least not like that. She glanced down, feeling herself blushing all of a sudden and Amber took her hand off. She went and lied down on her bed.

“Come on!” Andi looked down at her, biting her lip.

“Are you sure?” She hadn’t really taken the habit of lying in other people’s beds. Cece had always warned her not to do it, so out of fear, she hadn’t. Amber simply shrugged.

“Yeah, I’m sure! Today’s washing day, so these sheets are going to get cleaned anyways” Andi finally gave up and slowly laid next to Amber. The proximity drove her mad, but in a good way, which was hard to explain. There was another silence, but she quickly broke it.

“Is your boss going to get mad at you for leaving your job early?” That question had been burning on her tongue all day, but she hadn’t dared to ask. Amber chuckled.

“No, don’t worry about that. If she’s angry about me leaving, it won’t be because of this time” she paused. “I used to use excuses to leave to go buy some clothes on sell, I’ll admit” she laughed at that confession, and Andi smiled. “But I’m not like that anymore. Now, I only use it for good reasons”

“You... you think I’m a good reason?” That one came out of nowhere, really. Andi thought it deep inside, but she hadn’t expected to let it out. “I still feel kind of bad for making you leave”

“Listen...” Amber started, and Andi could feel something grab her hand. It was Amber’s hand, and it was holding hers. The butterflies from earlier seemed like they had turned into a zoo filled with angry lions. She was probably trembling, and her palms were definitely sweaty, but she didn’t even care. Holding Amber’s hand brought her joy, and part of her hated that. She glanced over at her, and of course, the other girl was already staring. “Don’t feel bad, okay? I... I care about you a lot, Andi, and I want to help you. You’re always here for everyone, helping us with our problems, so I thought that you deserved to have someone like that as well. You deserve to have someone to help you when you need it. And when I saw you sitting alone at The Spoon... I felt like I needed to do something. I couldn’t let you just mope alone, now, could I?” She paused, taking a deep breath. “My point is... I would give up my job to help you. It used to be out of necessity, but now, my family’s financial situation is better, so I could literally quit and nothing would happen. I’m just staying because I love my job, but it’s not a priority. My loved ones, however... the other day, I left work early because TJ needed my help. He was having a meltdown, and I left to go comfort him. Was my boss happy? Probably not, but I don’t care. I... I want to be a better person and... be there for people. And you’re one of those people” hearing Amber say these words made her want to scream. Her heart was beating so fast, she felt like she was about to have a heart attack. Just to know that she cared, that she left her job to help her, to know that she had her no matter what... it was enough to almost make her forget about her worries. It truly was one of the best feelings in the world. A wide smile grew on her face, probably the first real and genuine smile in a while.

“Amber... that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me. You... you really are a good friend, you know that? You are definitely a better person than you used to be, and honestly, I’m proud of you for it. I’m so glad that you dragged me here, I hadn’t had so much fun like that in while. Heck... I’m just glad to have you as my friend. So... thank you. For everything” there was a silence after that, and Andi barely cared that she was staring this time. She just treasured the moment so much. For days she had felt depressed, for days, she had felt like her state wouldn’t get better, yet one hangout with Amber and she was grinning like crazy. She didn’t remember when was the last time she had felt so happy. Amber finally smiled at her and there it was again, that aching pressure in her chest. What that feeling was, she didn’t know, but she wanted to hold onto it for as long as she could.

“Thank you, Andi. It means the world to me to hear you say that” she finally answered. While Andi was grinning widely, Amber was biting her lip. The silence lasted until a phone buzzed. Immediately, it was as if they were both brought to reality, and they both parted away from each other awkwardly. Andi sat up to look at her message.

“Oh, it’s my mom. She wants me to come home” she almost felt sad to leave so early, she honestly didn’t want to leave. Amber also sat up.

“Oh, before you go, we should sign the wall! Ya know, for memories” she seemed excited, and Andi smiled. They both stood up from the bed, grabbing the brushes and attempting to write their name with the paint. When they were done, Amber used what was left on hers to draw a heart. She was almost tempted to draw it around their names, but that seemed too romantic, so she just wrote it next to it. Andi slowly took off Amber’s shirt, that she had almost forgotten that she had on, and she folded it before putting it on the bed. She waited for Amber to be finished and they both walked towards the entrance. As soon as she had her shoes on, Andi turned back to Amber.

“Hey... uh, thanks again. For everything. It really... it really made my day” she admitted, a small smile on her face. The other girl simply smiled.

“Anytime. If you need me for anything... I’m only one text- one one call- away” she didn’t know what got into her, if it was her sudden happiness, or just the feeling of gratitude she felt towards Amber, but Andi suddenly went in and wrapped her arms around her. It seemed to take her by surprise, because she didn’t react at first, but she immediately hugged her back. There was a feeling of warmth, of comfort, of safety, and Andi didn’t want to let go. There was something about Amber that made her feel in a way she couldn’t describe. She finally pulled away, giving her a smile.

“I’ll see you around?”

“Always” Amber waved as Andi walked out the door, looking back at her once last time before leaving. As she watched her walk down her parking and onto the street, she knew that she was most definitely screwed.


End file.
